Today UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the University of Bristol published a report which has found that opt-out testing in emergency departments in five areas of England has helped to diagnose thousands of people with blood borne viruses.
New data from UKHSA shows an increase in HIV testing and PrEP access, and a fall in diagnoses, for white gay and bisexual men. However, these improvements are not experienced by other groups, particularly women and people from ethnic minority groups.
The data shows that:
It was shocking to read about Iceland employees who have been attacked while doing their job, in a piece published on the MailOnline on Friday 15 September. We stand in solidarity with any workers who are attacked. The article included reports that three employees are now living with HIV after being stabbed with needles. Since the piece was published we have raised our concerns that this claim from Iceland’s Executive Chairman Richard Walker is likely inaccurate and has fueled misinformation and HIV stigma.
Diabetes UK, Epilepsy Action, National Aids Trust, Parkinson's UK, Rethink Mental Illness and The Richmond Group of Charities with the support of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, are calling on the UK government to keep patients safe in hospital by making sure no one misses a dose of medication again. Every minute counts. As charities representing 5.46 million patients across the UK, we are concerned at the amount of people missing crucial doses of medication in hospital.
Community organisations from across the city are uniting in the fight against HIV stigma for the Pride in London parade on July 1.
On June 7th, the Department of Health and Social Care release the Annual Report on the HIV Action Plan for England.
Deborah Gold, Chief Executive of National AIDS Trust said:
“We’re delighted with the encouraging findings outlined in the HIV Action Plan annual report which we now must build on. Success relies on meaningful progress towards a number of challenges highlighted, to enable us to reach our shared goal of ending new HIV transmissions by 2030.
